A new genetically engineered strain of corn developed for ethanol production

Corn Amylase is a genetically modified crop developed by the Swiss firm Syngenta Seeds that was developed specifically for the production of ethanol. The seed itself has been modified with a heat-resistant protein from deep-sea bacteria to produce a kernel easily converted to ethanol without adding pricey enzymes.

"Because of the alpha-amylase in the corn, the grain’s starch transforms to sugar more easily, the corn mash is more slippery and the cost of making grain into biofuel drops by about 10 percent."

According to the article, "federal regulators deciding whether to free the corn seed for full-scale sales were buried in more than 13,000 comments — most from environmental groups that routinely line up against most genetically engineered crops. Also voicing concerns were the National Grain and Feed Association, North American Export Grain Association and Corn Refiners Association."

"Food processors worry that the special corn could slip in among conventional grain to turn cheese doodles to dust and foul myriad other processed foods."

The seed manufacturer advises that Corn Amylase should be grown only in “closed-loop” settings to keep it from spoiling commodity grain supplies.